Combination heater and vibrator



Jan. 15, 1952 w, AUGUST 2,582,617

COMBINATION HEATER AND VIBRATOR Filed July 11. 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 /00 20 32 m4 INVENTOR. #4 MLL/AM 141/6057 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed July 11, 1947 W IN V EN TOR.

KITTOPME Y Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNIT ED S TATES PATENT OFF-ICE COMBINATION HEATER AND VIBRATOR .William August,'New York, N. Y.,,assignor, ,by "direct and 'mesne assignments, to Ben Lee Products, Inc., a corporation obNew-York .--Application July 11, 1947,'Serial No. 760,194

4 Claims. 11 ,This invention. relates to therapeutic devices for. massaging and. applying heat .to the body.

An.,object...of. the, invention is to provide-ade- .vice which .is adapted, .uponconnection to a .source. of-.electric ..power, to undergo vibration which maybe imparted tothe body. upon con- ..tact therewith, to, massage the. same.

Anotherobject.v of the. invention is to provide an electric. massage .device including electric vi- .brator means, and which is adaptednponcontact. withthe body, not onlyto massage the same, but also to, impart .heattuthe, area which, is ,being massaged.

Afurther objectofthe. invention is to provide .a combination electric. massage and heat applilcatory devicewhich at .the. same time imparts avibratory massage to .thebody and imparts heat thereto, the device being characterizedby novel means for regulating the temperature of -the. device, preventing. overheating thereof.

1 Still ,another vobject of the invention is to provide. a combination electric massage and heat applicatorydevicewhich. is, simple .in .design, inexpensive to. manufacture, and. which is effective .and automatic in .operation.

..Other. objects andiadvantages of .the invention will becomeapparentfrom the following .descrip- .tion of apreferredembodiment thereof'as illustrated in thelaccompanying drawings, and in which:

,. Fig. ,1" is aside velevational. view of my improved heat massage .device;

.Fig. 2is atop plan view thereof; .Fig. .3 is a bottom plan view taken on line .3--.3 ofFigure. 1, the metal .platewhich transmits .massageand heat. being removedto illustrate the interior parts;

Fig. 4 is asectional view takensubstantially onv the line 4-?4 of Fig. 3;

,.Fig...5 is. a.view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing .the device with -certain parts removed therefrom, the removed parts being shown in Figs.

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of the movable armature forming part of the vibrator; and

,Fig. HS. a perspective ,detail viewof the electromagnet which actuates the armature of Fig. 6.

,In the .usual construction of therapeutic devices adapted to massagepartsof the body, it has been customary, either to apply massage only, without heat, or, where heat was also desired ,to' be imparted to the body, to accomplish this by means of a separate heating unit. The separate heating unit involves considerable expense over ,and above the cost of thevibratory parts, but in additionmakes for a bulkyunit which is difficult to handle. With the separate heating .unit, the device is quite likely to overheat, with consequent danger of bodylburns,.-and must beconstantly watched to avoid such dangers, it..being necessary to disconnect. thesame to allow it to cooloff.

The present invention discloses a solutionto this problem by providing avibrator and heating unit all combined in the same structure, together with integral heat regulating means which is automatic in operation.

Inorder to understand clearly the, nature .of the invention, and the best. means for carrying it out, reference may nowbe had to .the drawings, in which like numerals denote .similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown, I provide a housing [0. the external contour of which may conveniently beshemispherical in shape and molded of plastic or .other suitable insulating material. The .housing .IO has a recess or chamber I2 formed therein, which opens upon the lower or flattened. portion 14.01

the hemispherical housing, .as.. seen best in Figs.

by lead wires Mia-ml v36, to junction terminals 38 and 40 which -are secured to and insulated ,from the housinglfland disposed insuitable recessed portions thereof. Connection between the electric power lines andthe junctionterminals 33 and 461s effected-through lead wires vand 44. \vhichareconnected at one. .endto thejunc- ,tion terminals, and .at the other. endto a plug, not

shown, for connection to a ,utilityoutlet.

Insulating spacing blocks .46 and.. may. be

secured to the innerface ofthe electromagnet core 20, as best shown,in..Figs..4. andfl, andare supported upon upstanding platform .steps ,molded, integrally with. the inner, wal1l52. of. the chamber l2, and .protruding into the chamber from said wall. lItwjill be seen that, .duetothe thickness. of ;the.. s acin blocks .46 and I8, and

3 the platforms 50, the undersurface 54 of the coil 32 is not directly in contact with the surface 52 of the chamber I2, but is slightly spaced therefrom.

Metallic strips or bands 56 and 58 formed of any suitable material, extend around the core 20, and have their upper ends bent over and outwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, so as to extend into rounded recesses 60 and 62 formed in the housing I and adapted to receive the band ends. These ends of the bands 56 and 58 are secured in position in the recesses 60 and 62, by means of screws 64 and 66 which extend through holes formed in the bands and are threaded into openings 68 and I0 formed in the housing. The electromagnet core I6 and its coil 32 are thus securely anchored in position within the chamber I2.

The lead wires 42 and 44 extend through an axial bore 12 formed in the handle I4, the lower end I6 of the handle extending into an opening 18 formed in the housing I0, and frictionally engaging the same, being additionally secured therein by any suitable means such as by cement or other adhesive. The handle has an outwardly extending flange 80 which overlies the opening I8, lending additional rigidity to the connection of the handle with the housing I 0.

An armature I8 is also disposed in the chamber I2, the armature being formed of a number of iron laminations 82 which are stacked upon each other and secured together in any suitable manner, as by means of rivets 84. The armature I8 is supported upon spring brackets 66 and 88 the upstanding legs 90 of which extend between adjacent armature laminations as best shown in Fig. 6, being secured therebetween by the same rivets 84 which also extend therethrough. The said spring brackets 86 and 88 are preferably made of non-magnetic material, and have downturned feet 92 at the ends of their horizontal legs 94 as shown in Fig. 6, which engage in the lateral slots 96 formed in the platforms 50 of the housing I0 shown in Fig. 5, and also shown in side view in Fig. 4.

A bimetallic temperature regulating bracket 98, which is substantially L-shaped as viewed in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, has one leg I90 extending between adjacent armature laminations 82 and secured therebetween by means of a rivet I02 extending therethrough. The horizontal leg I04 of the bimetallic bracket extends across the remaining armature laminations and into a matching recess I06 formed in the housing I0, being secured at its outer end therein by means of a screw I08 the shank of which extends through an opening H0 in the leg I04 and which is threaded into a recess II2 formed in the housing.

The chamber I2 is closed by a metal plate H4 having a cylindrical flange or skirt which embraces the peripheral edge of the housing as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to snap in position.

This unit is thus a combination heater and vibrator, the purpose of which is to impart a massaging action to any part of the body and at the same time to heat the area which is being massaged. The massage or vibrating action and heat are both transmitted to the body through the metal plate II4 which extends across the plane of the equatorial axis of this device. The lead wires 42 and 44 are connected to the alternating current power lines, and the vibration is the result of the electromagnetic forces applied to the weighted ferrous type armature I8 which floats upon the spring support brackets 86 and 88 and is not in contact with the metal plate I I4.

It will be seen that, under the influence of the alternating current, and the flux derived therefrom, armature I8, which is normally held out of contact with the electromagnetic core I6, is alternately drawn thereagainst as the magnetizing current reaches its peak, and released when the current is zero, being thereupon drawn away from the core I6 by the spring brackets upon which it is supported. The planes of the laminations of the core are parallel to the plane of the metal plate II4, so that the vibratory action will be in a plane parallel to that of the metal plate, and therefore parallel to the surface to be massaged.

As the vibration proceeds, heat will be generated in the parts, particularly in the iron core and armature, and in the coil 32. The heat is a product of the wattage loss in both the iron core and the copper coil 32 and is transmitted through conduction to the inner surface of the metal plate II4. There is thus eliminated the necessity for a separate coil for heating purposes.

When the temperature of the parts rises too high, this acts upon the bimetallic thermostatic element 98, so as to cause it to bend in such a direction as to move the armature I8 nearer to the core I6. This lessens the air gap therebetween, tending to lessen the heating efiect in the parts. When the parts are cool, the element 98 acts similarly to increase the air gap. Automatic heat regulation is thus accomplished.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A therapeutic device comprising a housing having a chamber formed therein, a laminated electromagnetic core supported in said chamber, a coil disposed on a leg of said core and connectable to a source of alternating current, an armature floatingly supported in said chamber, spring means normally biasing said armature away from said magentic core and adapted, under the infiuence of said electromagnet, to be alternately drawn toward said core against said spring bias, whereby vibrations are caused, a metal plate closing said chamber and adapted to be placed directly against the body surface so as to conduct both vibration thereto and also to conduct heat generated in said core, armature and coil to the selected body surface, said housing having an opening formed therein for communication with said chamber, a handle having one end reduced to extend into and to securely engage said opening and having an axial bore extending through said handle, the lead wires for connecting said coil to the alternating current power source extending through said handle.

2. A therapeutic massaging device adapted to be held in the hand and applied to selected parts of the body comprising a housing having a chamber formed therein, a laminated electromagnetic core supported in said chamber, a coil disposed on a leg of said core and connectable to a source of alternating current, an armature floatingly supported in said chamber, spring means normally biasing said armature away from said magnetic core to provide an air gap therebetween and adapted, under the influence of said electromagnet, to be alternately drawn toward said core against said spring bias, whereby vibrations are caused, a metal plate closing said chamber and adapted to be placed directly against the body surface so as to conduct both vibration thereto and also to conduct heat generated in said core, armature and coil to the body surface, and means in the device for automatically regulating the rate of heat generation in said parts by increasing or decreasing the said air gap, and a handle member connected to said housing.

3. A therapeutic device comprising a housing having a chamber formed therein, a laminated electromagnetic core supported securely in said chamber, a coil disposed on a leg of said core and connectable to a source of alternating current, an armature disposed in said chamber, spring support brackets fioatingly supporting said armature in said chamber and normally biasing said armature away from said core, whereby, under the influence of the alternating flux thus generated, the armature is alternately drawn toward said core and returned to initial position by said spring brackets, to impart vibratory motion to said housing, a metal plate closing said chamber and adapted to overlie the portion of the body surface being massaged, a thermostatic 1 bracket carried by said housing and engaging said armature, whereby under the influence of said alternating magnetic flux said core, armature and coil generate heat which is conducted through said plate to the body surface, said thermostatic bracket being so constructed and arranged that as the temperature rises beyond a predetermined level it moves the armature in such direction as to alter the air gap between the armature and core to lessen the heating effect, whereby automatic heat regulation is accomplished.

4. The construction according to claim 3, characterized further in that the plane Of the laminations of said electromagnetic core are parallel to the plane of the metal plate, so that the vibratory action will be in a plane parallel to the metal plate and therefore parallel to the surface to be massaged.

WILLIAM AUGUST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 749,213 Muller Jan. 12, 1904 793,004 May June 20,1905

1,158,834 Parker Nov. 2, 1915 1,164,356 Kaiser Dec. 14, 1915 1,234,700 McLain July 24, 1917 1,955,863 Schmidt Apr. 24, 1934 2,021,968 Scheidegger Nov. 26, 1935 2,157,279 Brandenburg May 9, 1939 2,243,999 Chapple June 3, 1941 

